Syrian Kurdish authorities release 34 Australians

Published: 8:03 PM, Feb 16, 2026

Released from Custody

Members of the Kurdish internal security forces stand guard at a checkpoint, while Kurdish forces head towards the front lines at the outskirts of the town of Tel Hamis, following the agreement between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and the Damascus government, which stipulates the withdrawal of the Syrian army and the SDF from the front lines, in Qamishli, Syria, February 13, 2026.

Syrian Kurdish authorities released 34 Australian relatives of IS group who had been held in the Roj camp, the camp director said. "Today, we are handing over 11 families who hold Australian nationality to their relatives, who have come from Australia to collect them," said the camp's director, Hakmieh Ibrahim. "These families are the last Australians in the Roj camp," she added, noting that the camp still houses "2,201 people of around 50 nationalities". — AFP

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